Seven covet politically potent Coastal Commission seat

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION

•Made permanent when the Legislature passed the California Coastal Act of 1976.

•Plans and regulates use of land and water in the coastal zone, including development or other activities that change public access to coastal waters.

•Composed of 12 voting members — four appointed by the governor, four by the Senate Rules Committee and four by the Assembly speaker.

The state Assembly speaker is evaluating seven nominees from San Diego County for a four-year post on the California Coastal Commission, a high-profile agency that oversees shoreline development.

Ben Hueso, president of the San Diego City Council, holds the seat and wants to retain it. The other two front-runners are San Diego Councilwoman Donna Frye and Oceanside Councilwoman Esther Sanchez.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, is supposed to make the appointment by June 28 or ask for new nominations. She has not signaled her intentions.

Serving on the Coastal Commission is politically valuable because it brings statewide exposure.

The agency's 12 commissioners take on significant, often fractious issues such as development permits, desalination and sand-replenishment projects. The job requires dozens of hours of work each month, including travel along the coast, but it doesn't pay a salary.

“If reappointed, I will apply the experience I have gained during my tenure on the commission, draw on my knowledge about land-use issues and seek an appropriate balance between business needs and environmental stewardship with every vote,” said Hueso, a Democrat who has announced that he will run for the Assembly seat held by Mary Salas, D-Chula Vista.

Frye pointed to her longtime push for improving coastal water quality, which has consistently drawn praise from environmentalists.

“I am always willing to serve, particularly as it relates to the coast,” she said. “It's been my passion since I was a little girl.”

Sanchez said her main priority is maintaining low-cost access to the coastline.

“My biggest concern is that the coast not become an exclusive place,” she said.

The governor, Assembly speaker and Senate Rules Committee make four appointments each to the 12-member board.

Vacancies are tracked closely by environmental groups, which are concerned about what they see as a pro-development attitude on the board. A consortium of green organizations, including the Surfrider Foundation and San Diego Coastkeeper, is expected to publicly endorse a nominee any day now.

Hueso's spot is reserved for an elected official from San Diego County. The county's Board of Supervisors and the region's 18 mayors have submitted their list of nominees to Bass.

Like Hueso, Frye and Sanchez, the other finalists are council members: Keith Blackburn and Ann Kulchin, both of Carlsbad; Steve Castaneda of Chula Vista; and Carrie Downey of Coronado.

In 2007, then-Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez nominated his childhood friend Hueso to finish the term of Steve Padilla, who had lost his bid for re-election as Chula Vista mayor. Hueso's term ended May 20, but he can serve for 60 more days.

If Hueso is reappointed to the commission and then gets elected to the Assembly, he wouldn't be able to complete his commission term.